


A Last Farewell

by TwoCrows



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Angst, Despair, F/F, Non-Romantic Relationship, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 16:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18286055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoCrows/pseuds/TwoCrows
Summary: After waking up at the shore of a strange red sea, Asuka is forced to understand that the world she had known didn’t exist anymore. As she tries to untangle her thoughts and feelings, she is approached by someone she wished she never had to see again.





	A Last Farewell

Dead. That’s what it looked like. An endless sea of deadness.

Whatever had once been mankind had now unified in this infinite pool of crimson deadness, leaving behind a world of empty cities, a graveyard of technology.

She would be the last one. She and stupid Shinji. The last humans to die.

“It’s a dreary sight, isn’t it?”

Asuka spun around and gasped in shock, when she met the expressionless face she had detested for so long.

“You… You… But… that can’t be! Rei’s… dead. So, who are you?”

“I am me”, Rei said and stepped to her side, glancing down at the red water below. “Or rather… an echo of the me that you’ve met.”

Asuka hesitated. Then she turned away, crossing her arms.

“Go away. I don’t want to see you”, she muttered.

“Is that so? Is Ikari enough human for you to see?”

“Shut up! I just can’t stand you, _Wonder Girl_! You and your doll-like face… There’s nothing that pisses me off more than that!”

Rei raised her head a little, gazing up at the star-studded sky.

“I think I know what you mean”, she muttered. Then she turned to Asuka. “Do you still think I’m a doll?”

Asuka already had a fierce answer on her tongue, when something made her stop. The way Rei looked… It wasn’t real warmth… more like a spark of sadness that made her normally cold features appear a little softer.

Shinji had told her about the few memories that had been left with him, about how Rei had defied Commander Ikari and started the Instrumentality Project on her own.

Angrily, Asuka bit her lip. In the end not even Shinji, but also Wonder Girl had surpassed her.

“No, I guess not”, she muttered. “You have caused all this by yourself, haven’t you?”

Rei gave her a wan smile. Somehow that looked even creepier than her sadness from before.

“Is that what you think?”

Slowly, Rei shook her head.

“No, that wasn’t me. It was Ikari who chose this. I just… didn’t want to be used anymore… I’m a horrible person, am I?”

Asuka turned her gaze back at the sea. She could definitely agree with that.

“I see”, she muttered. “You’re not a doll at all, Rei.”

From the corner of her eye she could see a surprised expression creeping over Rei’s face. For a while, none of them said a word.

“Are you happy how it has come? That you still are alive?” Rei asked, breaking the silence.

With a sudden burst of anger, Asuka darted around to her.

“Do you want to mock me?! There’s no one left except for me and Shinji! We are… the only ones. All other humans are gone! Even the Evas are!”

Asuka blinked, trying to deny the fact that tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

“Eva Nigoki… was my life. My very reason to exist. And now she’s dead.”

Rei nodded.

“I see. The only two humans on earth. So, it appears you’re the new Adam and Lilith. I am sorry to have burdened you with such a fate.”

Asuka noticed her fist had started shaking. She wiped it across her eyes, but the tears kept coming, mercilessly running down her cheeks and falling onto the earth below.

“Stupid idiot”, she whispered. “I… I hate you. I hate this condescending attitude of yours! I hate you and I’m always going to hate you, so don’t show yourself to me again!!”

At the last words she dashed forward, punching Rei in the face. To her surprise the girl shattered like glass, before vanishing completely.

“I see. I’m sorry if that’s how you feel.”

Asuka darted around to where Wonder Girl had appeared now.

“Don’t be sorry! You almost sound like Shinji! I can’t stand that!!”

Rei gazed at her and what Asuka saw in her eyes made her even more furious. It was pity. She was really being pitied by that girl!

“Farewell, Asuka”, Rei muttered and a moment later she was gone.

Asuka stood for a moment, heavily breathing, wanting to scream out her anger at Wonder Girl. At Shinji. At this whole goddamn world.

Then the ire left her and she slumped to her knees.

It was useless to be angry at the world. It didn’t care about her anymore. No, it had never cared about her in the first place. The one she should be angry at was herself for being stupid enough to believe that.

“Asuka?” a voice asked from behind her.

“What?” she snivelled. “Are you coming for some more humiliation?”

She heard footsteps behind her.

“Asuka? What are you talking about?”

She looked up, surprised to find Shinji’s considerate face above her.

“It’s you”, she muttered. Then she took the hand he offered her and he pulled her to her feet.

Thoughtfully, she cast a glance at the horizon. Rei may still be somewhere out there. Hopefully she’d never have to see her again.

“Asuka? I thought about going into the hinterlands. We should be able to find some food there. Will you accompany me?”

Asuka nodded, but didn’t answer. She heard Shinji’s footsteps, moving away a little before stopping again. She could feel the silence, weighing down on her. The deafening silence that told her there was nobody else left alive. That forced her to realise how alone she was.

“Do you want to die?” Shinji asked.

Asuka thought that his voice sounded more mature than usually and she felt a stab in her chest.

“I have no reason to live anymore”, she said.“Yes. Yes, I want to die… someday. But that doesn’t need to be today.”

She took a deep breath before she tore her eyes away and followed Shinji, leaving the sea of deadness behind her. 


End file.
